Damascene processing is a method for forming metal lines on integrated circuits. It involves formation of inlaid metal lines in trenches and vias formed in a dielectric layer (inter metal dielectric). Damascene processing is often a preferred method because it requires fewer processing steps than other methods and offers a higher yield. It is also particularly well-suited to metals such as copper that cannot be readily patterned by plasma etching.
In a typical Damascene process flow, metal is deposited onto a patterned dielectric to fill the vias and trenches formed in the dielectric layer. The resulting metallization layer is typically formed either directly on a layer carrying active devices, or on a lower lying metallization layer. A thin layer of a dielectric diffusion barrier material, such as silicon carbide or silicon nitride, is deposited between adjacent metallization layers to prevent diffusion of metal into bulk layers of dielectric. In a typical integrated circuit (IC), several metallization layers are deposited on top of each other forming a stack, in which metal-filled vias and trenches serve as IC conducting paths. The conducting paths of one metallization layer are connected to the conducting paths of an underlying or overlying layer by a series of Damascene interconnects.
Fabrication of these interconnects presents several challenges, which become more and more significant as the dimensions of IC device features continue to shrink. Currently, at the 90 nm technology node and at more advanced nodes, there is a strong need for interconnect fabrication methods that can provide interconnects with improved lifetime and reliability.